The period after Grendel's mother is killed marks an important transition for Beowulf. In the first half of the book, Beowulf is characterized predominantly by his feats of strength and courage in battle; however, we only see that aspect of the man. He even appears somewhat childish in the way he brags about his numerous impossible accomplishments, especially in his talk with Unferth about the swimming competition. After Beowulf's justified slaughter of Grendel's mother, Hrothgar warns him about falling into the wrong path and uses King Heremod as an example:
Heremod was different,
the way he behaved to Ecgwela's sons
His rise in the world brought little joy
to the Danish people, only death and destruction.
He vented his rage on men he caroused with,
killed his own comrades, a pariah king
who cut himself off from his own kind,
even though Almighty God had made him
eminent and powerful and marked him from the start
for a happy life. But a change happened,
he grew bloodthirsty, gave no more rings
to honor the Danes. He suffered in the end
for having plagued his people for so long:
his life lost happiness.
(Lines 1709-1722)
Hrothgar counsels the warrior against taking his God-given talents and gifts for granted and cautions him to be wary against temptation. He explains that even the most righteous and honorable men have turned for the worst when their "soul's guard drowses and has grown too distracted" (1742-3). Although Beowulf has been blessed with superhuman abilities, he is just like every other man in that illness, old age, or a battle fatality would take away his power.
Throughout the second half of the book, Beowulf exhibits qualities of a wise king as opposed to just a strong warrior: he is shown to be a "considerate man" (1812) in that he gives up his arms as a warrior in order to help Hygelac and raise him to be a just king. Beowulf does not take the throne for himself but rather chooses to refine the proper heir--he only takes the throne once he is the only one left to do so. Hrothgar expresses his utmost respect for Beowulf when he claims that the hero is wise in mind as well as strong in body. So much is Hrothgar's affection for Beowulf that "sudden tears" (1873) come to his eyes when he realizes he will never see him again. Beowulf has truly matured into a wise king suitable to rule the Danish people. His qualities far extend those of a brave yet simpleminded warrior.
